Understanding
by MikaMckeena
Summary: One year has passed sensed Goku choose to stay in the Other World and Piccolo find his young friend in deep and troubled thoughts. What is bothering the young man and what's Piccolo got to say?


Understanding

Anime/Manga: DBZ, Dragonball Z

Cannons: Piccolo and Gohan

Type: One Shot

Words: 2041

Songs: Linkin Park - New Divide, Hollywood Undead-Young

Themes: Drama, Sorrow, Grief, Friendship, bit occness, Father hate

Summery: One year has passed sensed Goku choose to stay in the Other World and Piccolo find his young friend in deep and troubled thoughts. What is brothering the young man and what's Piccolo got to say?

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><p>It had been a year, a year sensed he choose to leave them and only two months sensed little brother had come to be born in the world under the name of Goten. If anything it was the birth of the young child that had brought back the light in his mother's eyes. A purpose to living maybe with out the re turns of his so called damn father: Goku.<p>

Sharp canines bit deep in to his lips to draw blood once more as the coppery taste filled his month, spitting it out in moments. He hated the taste of blood in truth and all the more the smell of it. Recalling the first time he had smelled blood not of an animal you ate to kill but the type spilt on a battle ground. Watching as a helpless child as his friends where slaughter by the Saiyans, smelling that blood of their open wounds or as the bodices cooled once all life was gone. Blood smelt much like it tasted, coppery but a undertone of something maybe not found in humans words. Maybe it was the side effect of the Saiyan genes that let him smell it for the first time, what the scent had been was emotions.

It might be a little strange to think you could pick up emotions in the scent of blood but maybe not for his kind. "_What kind? When did I start to think myself more saiyan then human?"_

The black haired youth for the moment choked down a bitter laugh in his throat as the old age war hit his mind and blood all the more. He was a mix of the saiyan race, warriors and killers! The other was that of the gentler but maybe curler humans. What a mix up he was huh? Maybe the Kami's passing joke to the world of his power?

Son Gohan licked the blood now drying on his lip as the sun set over the valley of his home and broken childhood for the moment. He could pick up the sounds of his mother making dinner and cooing at his baby brother now and then. It was a happy place to raise a child but for Gohan, it was just a bitter remember of what he really lost all these years of so called growing up. Hell had come to posses the mind of adult most likely before he had his first hard on for all the fighting he had done in the name of the earth and also, his so called damn father!

"Damn basterd! Even now he fills my thoughts even after leaving us or could I say abandonment ! Did he ever think maybe once we just needed him for our family and not just the world? No he always thought of the world and the next fight first before his own family!" Gohan muttered, still tasting the blood on his lips. "I hate him…."

Many of his friends or his so called dad's friends might think it hard to compel that Gohan could have come to even hate his own father! Yet in the weeks of leaving, Gohan had done much deep thinking as Goten was coming to be born in their world. Looking back, he had saw the major events in his life and how it tied him to his father. He did love Martial arts but it was endless life or death battles tied to it and its gift that also drew a black cloud to his father. Had it been right to drag a child of five into a battle? No! Had it been right to let his son go and fight for his very life? No! Had it been right to throw him to Cell to fight alone? No!

Gohan clenched his fist till the nails drew blood, leaving his body shaking from the pent up anger it always did from these thoughts in their recall. "_Damn you Goku…."_

Yet maybe it was the lost of thoughts that led the normally sentient young man to miss out on his only true friend coming to check up on him in sensing his ki raise to much: Piccolo.

He often came by these days to spend time with the young man or just to check up on him alone. Strangely or normally none of the others went out of their way or lives to check up on the Son family. Maybe belaying things would just be ok like normal but the former Kami and Demon King knew better when it came to Gohan.

"Hey Kid"

The smooth but rough tone got Gohan to blink to turn around to see his closest friend and teacher just flouting inches of the ground. Eyes staring right into those onyx ones with arms lightly crossed and clock in the winds as normal. Piccolo had sharp features as common to the Namekians, of his kind and the green skin to match.

"Hey…."

That weak greeting got an eye brow raise from Gohan, lacking the normal brilliant cheer. "What's up kid? What's got you down?"

Gohan blinked in his own moments in seeing the way to deep look from his friend. He lightly came to run his fingers throw the mess of black hair and took a deep breathe to center himself for the moment. "Not much Piccolo."

"_You could never lie good kid.."_ Piccolo thought, coming to land on the earth a moment.

"Why are you here Piccolo?" Gohan asked, feeling worn out and finding no patience for the moment for anyone.

Now this was a bit to blunt coming from Gohan just enough to irk the former Kami out of the good mood "Your Ki shot up a bit to high for my taste Gohan, so I thought I might check up on you."

Guilt filled his soul for the moment in hearing this, why was he treating Piccolo like he was his father? "Maybe because he was more like a father to me then Goku…"

"I'm sorry Piccolo. I've just not been the best of moods this month you might say! Mom blames it on becoming a teenager and such what not things." Gohan said, with a ghost of a smile. "Maybe she's right huh?"

"Wrong"

Gohan nearly fell in hearing that anger filled word from the _Namek_ warrior yet it also hit his mind and soul in a single shot. Grinding his teeth a bit to cover up his own faults as the hybrid looked at the warrior a moment and felt once more the child in those eyes blunt eyes.

"Huh? What you mean Piccolo?" he asked, trying to smiling.

Piccolo had been waiting for some weeks now to find out the real thoughts of Gohan and always the conventions ended once more in a damn dead end. Yet maybe this time he could make the saiyan crack just a bit and find out what was really going on with the young man. So as a human might say "Hit the nail on the head."

Feeling a bit offish by this change of events made the young man lightly pull at his sleeve a moment but knew somehow his friend could see through his lies like always. How could Piccolo and not his father see it? It always made Gohan question if his own father really knew his son at all after these years?

"Well Kid? You going to talk to me on what's really going on with you or we just going to stand here all day while you keep fighting around like some pup?" Piccolo pushed lightly, coming to sit on a rock and waiting for his friend to talk. "You know I won't judge on anything you got to say Gohan."

That one simple line broke down the thin wall around the kid's heart more anything could have done as the rush of built up feelings hit his mind and soul like some wave breaking on the beach. Gohan blinked back the tears forming a moment but he kept his voice study more then anything.

"Why did he leave Piccolo? Was I not good enough for him? Didn't I do everything I could to please my father and mother? Was I not strong enough or brave enough for him all these years? Did I fail not only as a son but a saiyan to him? Did he even care about us? "Anguish poured from the voice of the youth as his voice cracked and tears poured from the onyx eyes as he looked down at the earth. "Now what do I do with Goten and mom? Can I be strong enough for them in his place?"

"Goku _you fool! What have you done to your own son in leaving him like this_?" Piccolo thought, trying not to look angry in the out right sorrow coming from his only friend. "_But you're not all at fault also…_."

"Gohan, listen to me and don't interpret what I have to say and I am going to say it once kid! Got it!" Piccolo said, " If in anything, you did more then asked given the type of childhood we put you thought and its not only your father to blame kid. Its all of us…even your mother to come ways for trying to protect you way to much as a kid. We as the grown ups should have seen that no child belonged on the battle ground or this kind of life and death battles till you where older. Yet it was how mature and bright you where that made us not see a kid but you more as a man and that was a big mistake not only on me but your father. If also anything I should have put a stop to it after _Namek_ in being the first one to train you."

Gohan listened, eyes wide open a moment in seeing his friend look so defeated in saying a pure truth "Piccolo…."

Signing a moment, the former Kami kept speaking. "Yet also your father should have stepped in all the more with the whole Dr. Gero thing and 17 and 18 but I think it was when he tossed Cell on to it we both came to see our own truths in you where just a kid still even with the type of power you have Gohan. Yes I think it was a mistake in the choice your father made in staying dead and I want to kick his ass for now thrusting all the more of a burden on you with being a brother now. Yet no matter what Gohan, I will be here for you as much as I can now."

The young saiyan let the air shift a bit in locking eyes with his master and best friend and let his shoulders slag a bit and only walked up to the tall Namek now standing up and letting his forehead rest on the chest. Tears falling into the black Gi a moment as the hand of his friend lightly came to gentle rest on the black locks and let Gohan know he was not alone anymore in anything from this day.

"Thank you…"

Smiling a bit softer "Your welcome kid…."

Gohan sniffed a moment and smiling in knowing he was not alone as long as Piccolo was around to watch his back and be there simply for his friend: Gohan.

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><p>Note: First DBZ fic in truth and I loved the bound of friendship with Piccolo and Gohan in the whole animemanga. Personally I think Piccolo was more of a father and big brother to Gohan this own father at times in the anime. So be kind and review, if I get some good feed back. Then I might do a Gohan and Goku one in part to this.


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